In the field of financial-type business transactions, a commonly used record medium is a passbook or bankbook for maintaining a record of each transaction. The passbook is inserted into a business machine for reading the contents of the passbook, for printing information or data in the passbook, and for recording the printed information or data in the passbook.
In the operation of the business machine for passbook printing therein, the passbook is inserted at the front of the machine and the passbook is then transported or conveyed past a printing station toward the rear of the machine where the current status of the record is read by means of read/write mechanism from a magnetic strip on the passbook. The passbook is then transported to the printing station for printing operation after which the passbook is again transported toward the rear of the machine where the printed information is recorded by means of the read/write mechanism in a write operation on the magnetic stripe. The passbook is then transported toward the front and out of the business machine.
In prior mechanisms there have generally been two types of means for conveying a printed medium such as a bankbook to predetermined positions in a printer to enable the required operations. One type of conveying means uses pairs of rollers spaced from each other and disposed at spaced intervals along the path of the bankbook and rotatably engaged with the book. Another type of conveying means uses rotating rollers provided on both sides of a feed path and belts driven by the rotating rollers and engageable with the book.
Representative documentation in the area of passbook transport mechanisms includes U.S. Pat. No. 3,933,234, issued to J. L. Smith et al. on Jan. 20, 1976, which discloses a document handling assembly for a printer.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,251, issued to N. V. Zaccagnino on Apr. 20, 1976, discloses document positioning means for printing apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,555,104, issued to O. Fukuju et al. on Nov. 26, 1985, discloses an overlapping document feed apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,828, issued to M. Nogami et al. on Jul. 15, 1986, discloses a system for issuing passbooks that includes means for feeding a passbook along a guide chute.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,129, issued to A. Keryhuel et al. on May 10, 1988, discloses a passbook printer having a conveyor belt.